The Princess and the Unicorn
by DisneyFanatic2364
Summary: Based on Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper." Twilight is stressed with her new role as a princess and wishes she could go back to being a regular old unicorn. Dawn Cracker, a unicorn living with her indebted father, wishes she had a better life. When the two meet, they discover they look alike and decide to switch places. What chaos will become of this?
1. The Princess

**This was an idea given to me by my former roommate. She suggested that for one of my PMVs, I do the Barbie version of _The Prince and the Pauper_ with alicorn Twilight and unicorn Twilight. I didn't think it would quite work for a PMV set, but the idea for a fanfic sprung. So here is my MLP version of Mark Twain's _The Prince and the Pauper_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" or _The Prince and the Pauper_.**

* * *

The light from Celestia's sun filled the princess' bedroom as a rooster outside called for every pony to rise. The alicorn's purple eyes slowly opened to greet the sunlight. She sat up in bed and stretched her legs and wings. She turned towards her window, walked up to it and looked out at the small town she lived in. The view she had of it now was much higher up than when she had lived in the old oak, but that did not change the serenity of the sight.

"Ah, good morning, Ponyville," she said with a sigh.

She glanced down at the purple dragon snoring in a box at the foot of her bed. She chuckled and decided to let him sleep for a bit. She walked up to her vanity and gasped. The night had not been kind to her hair. Her dark blue mane was a tangled mess, her purple and pink highlights spread all over the place.

She couldn't help but giggle.

"You don't look so good, Twilight," she said as she attempted to smooth out her mane. "Well, we can fix that."

After washing her mane and tail, which was just as messed up, in a quick shower, she blow dried them both and brushed out the knots. Now when she looked in the mirror, she saw a pretty lavender alicorn with purple eyes and a tidy, straight mane. She wasn't as focused on looks as her friend Rarity, but now that she was a princess, she felt it was important to maintain a good appearance.

She checked the clock and saw that twenty-three minutes had passed.

"Time to wake up Spike."

He was just as she had left him, all snug in his little box, tucked under his blue blanket, snoring into his pillow. She had a sly look in her eye as she used her magic to pull the blanket off his body. The dragon sat up at the sudden chill.

"Gah!"

"Rise and shine, Number One Assistant!" Twilight chimed. "We've got a big day ahead of us! So let's get ourselves some breakfast and write out our checklist for the day!"

The alicorn flew down the stairs, but the dragon just moaned and flopped his head back onto the pillow. He didn't understand how she could be so cheerful every morning, especially after staying up the previous night studying.

"With a name like Twilight," he grumbled, "you'd think she'd be a night owl."

But it didn't matter what time she slept, she was always up bright and early, just so she could make his mornings miserable.

"Spike!" Twilight called from downstairs.

He groaned as he lifted himself up. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"

She was already down in the kitchen, preparing pancakes for them both.

"Twilight," he sighed, taking his place at the table, "do we have to wake up at sunrise every single morning?"

"There's a lot to do in the day," she replied, keeping her attention on the stove, "and we must not waste a minute of daylight. If I remember my to-do list correctly, we have a lot of things scheduled for today."

"_You_ have a lot of things scheduled for today. Why can't you just let me sleep an extra hour or two?"

"You wouldn't be so sleepy if you hadn't been up all night reading comic books."

"The new issue of _Power Ponies_ comes out in two days! I need to catch up!"

She chuckled. "You sound like Rainbow Dash waiting for the next _Daring Do_ book; only you only have to wait a month for each book."

"Oh, like _you_ never go crazy for books."

"Touché."

When the pancakes were done, Twilight used her magic to flip a stack of five onto each of their plates. Despite all that had changed, it was nice that her mornings with Spike had stayed the same. Not only was she a princess now, but they were living in a new tree (a castle, for that matter).

After Tirek's defeat, the Tree of Harmony had made a crystal castle grow out of the place the old library once stood. While it was much bigger and had many new rooms, including a throne room, it seemed the Tree of Harmony had restored much of their belongings that had been destroyed in Tirek's blast. It was good, because practically everything Twilight and Spike owned had been in that library, including the books. Those had been restored as well and were now in the west wing of the castle, which was open to the public since the town was in need of a new library anyway.

Even though she had gotten used to her new living space, things weren't exactly the same as before Tirek. Now that Twilight held the official title of the Princess of Friendship, she had a more significant role in Equestria, especially in Ponyville. Ponies now came to her for wisdom and guidance, mostly having to do with rifts in friendships. Some came from outside of Ponyville, ponies that could not make the long journey to Canterlot.

In fact, dealing with the problems of her subjects was the first duty of the day. She would have two one-hour sessions each day for this task: one after breakfast and one in the afternoon. Sometimes the other members of the Friendship Council would help her, but she did not require them to come, since they had duties of their own. That morning, it was just her and Spike, who was sitting beside her on his little throne, holding the checklist they had made for the day.

The first issue presented to them that morning was between a gray mare with black hair wearing a pink bowtie and the local DJ. The two of them were roommates and not getting along very well.

"Every morning," the gray mare complained, "Vinyl practically throws me out of bed with her loud, incessant wubs!"

"They make very effective dishwashers!" the white unicorn in sunglasses argued. "And didn't you say you wanted me to wake you up for work?"

"Most ponies just nudge sleeping ponies gently! Heck, even shaking me vigorously would've sufficed!"

"You think I haven't tried that? You're a hard sleeper! At least I do the dishes for ya!"

"Can't you find a quieter way to wash the dishes like every pony else?!"

They were arguing so rapidly that it took a while before Twilight could get a word in: "Alright. I think I have a solution. Vinyl, keep your…wubs and wash the dishes later in the day when Octavia is out of the house. That way, you can still wash the dishes your way and Octavia won't be bothered. As for waking her up in the morning, get an alarm clock."

The roommates glanced at each other.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Octavia confirmed.

"Sounds cool," Vinyl said with a shrug.

They both bowed towards the alicorn.

"Thank you so much for your wisdom, your highness," said Octavia.

"Thanks a bunch, Princess!" Vinyl grinned.

"No problem," Twilight beamed. "Glad I could help."

As the mares left the throne room, Twilight whispered to Spike, "Still not used to all the bowing and 'your highness' thing."

"They're just showing respect, Twilight," the dragon replied. "It's customary."

She knew that, but it still felt strange, considering she had only been a princess for a short while and was not used to so much praise.

That's why when a group of photographers started taking pictures of her the second she stepped out the door to run some errands, she covered her face with her wings. Not only was it to hide her face, but to shield her eyes from the series of flashes. The amount of paparazzi following her had increased dramatically after Tirek's defeat. They started shooting questions at her.

"Princess Twilight! How did it feel to go single-hoofedly against Tirek?"

"Princess! Did temporarily absorbing the other princesses' magic have permanent effects? Are you more powerful now?"

"Your highness! What did you have for breakfast this morning?"

Twilight had had enough and pulled Spike onto her back before taking to the skies. Many of the reporters shouted complaints while the ones with wings flew after her.

"They're gaining on us!" Spike exclaimed.

He covered his mouth while trying to keep his breakfast down. While Twilight had improved on her aerial coordination, the ride was still bumpy.

"Oh, at this rate, we'll never be able to stay on schedule!" Twilight groaned as she looked back at the reporters in pursuit.

Spike gulped as he stared ahead. "I think we've got bigger problems!"

"What?"

"Look out for that…"

He was cut off as Twilight slammed flat into the side of a…

"…mountain."

The alicorn slid to the ground in pain. The reporters did nothing to help, just continued snapping pictures. She gazed up at them and groaned.

"I hate flying."

* * *

After lunch was the weekly meeting of the Council of Friendship. Seeing Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie was enough to brighten Twilight's day. That meeting, they were discussing the Crystal Fair, which Princess Cadence had invited them to help prepare. They were to leave in two days and were making sure they had all the materials they needed.

"I've prepared the cloth for the tents," Rarity declared, "not only is it flexible and soft, but it's waterproof and will look fabulous!"

"I've been brushing up on my jousting skills for the tournament," Rainbow said.

Fluttershy stiffened. "Oh, please tell me you've found another partner?"

"Don't worry. I've asked Derpy and she's excited to come."

"Oh, that's good. I'm bringing some of my animals for the petting zoo. Well, the ones who won't mind being petted by a bunch of strangers."

"I'll have a whole lot of apple baked goods ready for my stall," Applejack guaranteed.

"And I've been practicing my flugelhorn all month!" Pinkie Pie piped.

She demonstrated by blowing fiercely into her crystal horn, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Also, I placed an order for a cartload of fireworks for the evening show! They will be hoof-delivered to the Crystal Empire by Mr. Cracker himself!"

Twilight blinked. "Who's Mr. Cracker?"

"He's the pyrotechnician who's been making all my fireworks ever since I was old enough to handle them! He lives in a small shop in Hoofington with his daughter. I've never met her, but I hear she's our age and she might come to the Crystal Empire with her and I'm so excited because that means we can make a new friend…"

"I think we get the picture," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.

"Looks like we'll have everything we need," Twilight grinned.

"I think we could all use a break," Rarity sighed. "What say we all go out to dinner tonight?"

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Fluttershy smiled.

"I'm up for that," said Applejack.

"Cool," Rainbow nodded.

"It'll be fun!" Pinkie squealed.

"Yeah, that does sound…" Twilight started to say.

"Uh, Twilight?" Spike said, tapping her shoulder.

He held up their schedule and what he pointed to made the alicorn frown.

"Oh. I'm sorry, girls, but I'm going to have to pass. The mayor's dinner party is this evening and I'm supposed to attend."

"Oh," the five ponies said sadly.

"We understand, Twilight," Rarity assured her.

"Yeah," Applejack nodded. "Yerr responsibilities come first."

Twilight's ears fell back guiltily. Other than these meetings, she never seemed to have much time for her friends anymore. Last week, she had missed Rarity's birthday party because she had to go to a Royal Summit in Canterlot. Three days ago she had to bail on a picnic they had planned because she had to cut the ribbon at the opening of the new hospital wing. Then there were the issues presented to her by her subjects.

And the ones that followed that meeting did not make her feel any better:

"My brother won't pay the rent!"

"My tomato plants were eaten by aphids!"

"She keeps stealing my dolly!"

"My house is infested with rats!"

"She forgot our anniversary!" shouted a yellow mare with pink and blue hair.

The green unicorn mare she was pointing at scowled. "I'm sorry, okay, Bon-Bon?! It's hard to remember when we have so many anniversaries as it is!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean there's the anniversary of our first date, the anniversary of our first kiss, the anniversary of when we moved in together… You know, it would be a lot easier to count if I had fingers!"

"You and your obsession with hands!"

Twilight put her hoof to her head. _Great, now I've become a marriage counselor._

"Enough!" she commanded. "Bon-Bon, you must forgive Lyra. Just because she's forgetful doesn't mean she doesn't love you. Lyra, to make up for the fact you forgot your anniversary, take Bon-Bon out to dinner."

The two mares looked at each other.

"Dinner!" the unicorn exclaimed. "Why hadn't I thought of that?!"

"I'm sorry I got so angry at you," Bon-Bon smiled.

"And I'm sorry I forgot our anniversary. I'll try not to do it again!"

"It's okay. I forgive you."

After embracing each other, they turned to the alicorn and bowed.

"Thank you, your highness!" Bon-Bon said graciously.

"It's Twilight," the princess grumbled.

"Thank you, Princess Twilight!" Lyra exclaimed.

The alicorn heaved a sigh. "You're welcome."

The couple was still bowing as they backed out the door. Twilight turned to Spike.

"Tell me they were the last ones today," she grumbled.

"That was it," he replied.

She groaned as she put her face in her hooves.

"What's wrong, Twilight?"

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," she confessed. "Every pony comes to me with their problems, no matter how ridiculous; I can't leave the castle without getting mobbed and I have so many duties now, I rarely have time to just hang with my friends and be normal."

"You're a princess now, Twilight. No one said the job was going to be easy. And you'll have plenty of time to spend with your friends once we're finished setting up the Crystal Fair."

She sighed. "I guess, but sometimes I just wish things could go back to the way they were before I became a princess, when I was just a regular old unicorn."

"You know, the dinner party's not for a couple of hours. We could maybe make a quick visit to Rarity's or Fluttershy's or one of the others'."

"No. I feel like what I need now is to lie down for a bit and read a book."

Spike nodded, understanding that a good book always made Twilight feel better. After the long day they had had, she deserved a break.

Twilight scanned the library shelves for a book that might calm her nerves. While searching in the classics section, her eyes fell upon a small red book titled _The Prince and the Pauper_.

"Huh," she said, levitating the book with her magic. "I haven't read this one in ages."

She spent the next few hours curled up in the corner with the book open in front of her. As she read the story, she couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it. The probability of two ponies of completely different families being the same in appearance was practically impossible, unless they were twins separated at birth. She also couldn't help but wonder why the pauper, Tom Canter, would want to take on the responsibilities of royalty. Terrible as his life was, at least he didn't have to deal with so much stress.

She felt Prince Edward Trotter had the right idea taking a day to be like every pony else. As she read the part where the lookalikes decided to switch places, Twilight shook her head with a sigh.

"If only it were that easy."

She glanced out the window and saw that night had fallen and the stars were out. Soon it would be time for her to go to the dinner party. As she gazed at the beautiful night sky, she thought about what her life had been like when she was still a unicorn. While there had been busy days, they were more laidback compared to the chaos she had now. She didn't have to deal with annoying reporters or crazed fans or whining subjects. She had quality time with her friends, even more time to read, and had the pleasant fortune of being just a run-of-the-mill unicorn.

As she thought this, a shooting star passed over. Now, Twilight was not superstitious, but it never hurt to make a wish. She closed her eyes and whispered:

"I wish that for just one day, I could be a regular old unicorn again."

* * *

**Of course, since Season 4 just ended and we haven't seen much of Twilight's castle, I had to use my imagination. I also thought it heartbreaking that Twilight and Spike had lost all their stuff when the library was destroyed and had the Tree of Harmony bring that all back too. Why not?**

**Just to clarify, despite what I used to think of slash pairings, I like LyraxBon-Bon. But I don't like OctaviaxVinyl (those two I just see as roommates). Shrug, that's just how it is.**


	2. The Unicorn

**Now we meet "the pauper."**

* * *

That very same morning, in a small run-down house in Hoofington, another lavender pony lay in bed. This mare, however, was not up at sunrise, but asleep on her stomach, drooling onto her pillow. An hour later, she was still asleep, until a red unicorn stallion with a red beard and sticks of dynamite for a cutie mark walked in and shouted:

"Rise and shine, Princess!"

The mare's only response was a groan. The old stallion shook his head with a smile.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said, nudging her gently. "You'll be late for work if you don't get up!"

She groaned again, but this time put her pillow over her head. The stallion sighed, as he had hoped it wouldn't resort to this. His horn glowed with a yellow aura and sparks emitted from it, creating a loud, crackling sound.

"Gah!" the mare screamed as she fell out of bed.

She scrambled to rise so she could glare at the older pony.

"Okay, okay! I'm up! Geez, Dad! You didn't have to destroy my ears!"

Her father smirked. "You left me with no choice. Now get yourself cleaned up and get some breakfast." He chuckled as he walked away. "I really misnamed you, didn't I? I should've called you Night Owl."

The lavender pony rolled her eyes as she groggily walked over to her vanity. It wasn't a vanity, really, just a small wooden table with a dusty old mirror hanging over it. She gazed at her reflection and grumbled. There were bags under her purple eyes, her dark blue mane was so messy she could barely see her horn, and her short tail was twisted in a knot.

"You don't look so good, Dawn," she groaned, but this was no surprise to her.

She trotted to the bathroom, which gave the term "water closet" a whole new meaning. It was practically the size of a closet. The toilet was covered in grime and the shower was this lone faucet hanging over a drain. She turned the knob, but nothing came out.

"Dad!" she called. "Did you forget to pay the water bill again?"

His silence told her he had. She sighed, but she was prepared for this. Next to the sink was a bucket of water with a washcloth. She dipped the cloth in and threw it over her face. It wasn't a thorough cleaning, but it at least washed the sand out of her eyes.

She returned to her room and levitated her brush from beneath the mirror. She ran it through her mane and cried out in pain as it found a knot. The more she tugged, the more it hurt, so she eventually gave up on her mane and started on her tail. She managed to smooth the surface a bit, but couldn't get the tangles out of there either.

"Oh, forget it," she grunted.

She looked back in the mirror, licked her hooves and attempted to smooth out her hair again. When she was done, her bangs were straightened, but the wisps of her short mane were sticking out from behind her neck and curling in different directions.

"Well," she sighed, "I'm no Princess Celestia, but I at least look somewhat presentable."

She trudged into the kitchen, opened the cupboards and found nothing but a box of cereal and spider webs. She levitated the box of cereal without even acknowledging the spiders. Then she found a bowl and set it down on the table. She took her seat as she shook the cereal into the bowl. She shrieked when a spider fell out. At this point, her father had walked in and chuckled.

"Talk about a special surprise inside."

Dawn smirked. "Very funny."

She used her magic to lift the spider out of her bowl and out the window. She then levitated her spoon and started eating. The cereal was a bit stale, but it would at least keep her strength up.

"Why don't you have milk with it?" her father asked.

"Don't you remember? We ran out yesterday."

"Oh. That's right."

Dawn watched as her father started going through the mail. Each one he opened seemed to increase the frown on his face. She recognized the postscripts and knew they were bills.

Her father, Fire Cracker, was a pyrotechnician and specialized in explosives, though he mostly made fireworks and could even create small explosions with his horn. He was quite good, but unfortunately, pyrotechnics wasn't a good business to have in a small town like Hoofington. They didn't have much need for fireworks, as they didn't have many big parties, other than the Summer Sun Celebration and New Year's. The materials for fireworks, depending on the type, would also tend to be expensive. He also wasn't well-known throughout Equestria and had few customers. It was no surprise that they should have financial troubles.

Dawn Cracker was also a pyrotechnician, or was her father's apprentice, at least. She could make sparks appear from her horn and put them in the sky when she wanted to. Her cutie mark was a red and yellow firework. She loved her father and helped him out whenever she could. However, he could get a bit forgetful, especially where money was concerned.

When the fifth bill fell on the table, Dawn looked up at her father sincerely.

"Dad, we really need to do something about this."

Fire Cracker sighed. "I know, but I can't just make money appear out of thin air."

"What about that Great and Terrible Trixie or whatever she calls herself? Has she paid for the fireworks and smoke bombs we sent her yet?"

"No, but she said she'd pay her tab when she could."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Dad, you have to be more assertive with the customers. She's been saying that for months now! We can't just keep making stuff for her for free! We need that money!"

"I know we do, but she's out of town at the moment. I'll talk to her when she gets back."

She shook her head. Her father was a good stallion, but he could be really naïve sometimes. She gasped when she caught sight of the clock. She instantly jumped out of her chair, toppling it over in the process.

"Oh gosh, I'm gonna be late for work!"

"I told you," her father muttered.

Fire Cracker jumped when he opened a pink envelope and confetti spurred in his face. He grinned, knowing who this was from. As he read the contents of the letter, his eyes widened.

"Dawnie, you won't believe what…"

But his daughter had already grabbed her saddlebag and apron and rushed out the door.

* * *

Dawn worked part-time at the local Hayburger as a waitress from nine to two p.m. every day except Sunday. She did it to earn extra cash for herself and her father, but she hated the job. It was the busiest restaurant in Hoofington, which meant she was always bustling about with a notebook and a pile of dishes.

The bell above the door rang as she burst into the diner.

"Miss Cracker!" her boss, the manager, called from the kitchen. "You're late!"

"Sorry, Mr. Burger!" Dawn declared as she rushed to the window to the kitchen where the large blue earth pony in a tie was waiting. "I was…"

"I don't wanna here any excuses! Just don't let it happen again! And get to work! It's the breakfast rush and in your absence, Daphne Feathers over there has been running your tables!"

Dawn's ears drooped in guilt as she glanced at the orange, brunette pegasus in the blue beret flying frantically between tables. The unicorn took her notebook out of her bag before tossing it aside.

"I'm here, Daphne, I've got it!"

The pegasus looked over at her with her green eyes and sighed in relief. "About time. This place is packed!"

"I'm so sorry, Daph!"

The waitress smiled. "Don't be. Just try not to sleep in again."

Dawn returned her smile. Daphne was the only real friend she had in this town and could always count on her to get her out of a jam. The pegasus leaned forward and whispered:

"But I'm not covering your tables now that you're here."

"Oh," Dawn said, snapping back to the situation. "Right. Thanks!"

And so began a long day of rushing between tables, writing down orders and carrying towers of plates. You see, Dawn was a bit of a klutz, which was not a good thing to be when your jobs are handling explosives and carrying dishes. She could usually carry things just fine, but when lifting heavy objects, she had to have complete concentration on her magic, or else she would drop everything. Fortunately, that rarely happened when carrying explosives, since that was associated with her talent. Carrying dishes, however, was another story.

When lunchtime came, a family of ten came in: a mother and father, seven foals and a grandfather. They sat down at Table Six and Dawn gulped, for that was her table. Her pencil burned on her notepad as she wrote out their orders and kept crossing out whenever the kids or Grandpa changed their minds. It took about five whole minutes to get everything down.

Then the time came for her to carry all the meals over to them. She thought about asking Daphne for help but felt the pegasus had done enough for her today. Dawn took a deep breath.

"Okay, you can do this."

She closed her eyes and her horn glowed pink. Her aura engulfed the plates and lifted them into the air. She opened her eyes and sighed in relief.

"So far, so good."

She started walking slowly towards the table, which was, unfortunately, on the other side of the diner. She kept her eyes glued to the floating plates of food.

"Stay calm, don't drop them. Stay calm, don't drop them," she said to herself over and over.

As she neared the table, one of the foals dropped his dinosaur toy. Dawn was paying so much attention to the plates that she didn't see it when she stepped on it. She cried out as she slipped and fell on her back. Her concentration was broken and the plates fell to the floor, shattering and staining the carpet with food. One of the plates landed on the grandfather's head. He was so shocked that he fainted into the mother's hooves. She scowled at the unicorn.

"You clumsy fool! Look what you've done to my dad!"

"MISS CRACKER!"

Dawn knew the booming voice all too well. "Oh no."

She sat up and met the burning eyes of her boss.

"Clean this up at once!" he ordered. "And replacing these plates is coming out of your pay!"

She hung her head. "Figures."

As Mr. Burger stomped away, Daphne came over to help her friend up.

"You okay?"

Dawn grunted. "I hate my life."

* * *

The unicorn walked into her home with downcast eyes. She found her father in the workroom, rolling a dowel in brown paper. He grinned when he noticed his daughter.

"Hey, Princess. How was your day?"

"Not so good," she grumbled.

He shook his head. "You really shouldn't be working so hard, sweetie. A girl like you should be out having fun, making friends," he winked, "meeting stallions."

Dawn couldn't help but smile a little. "That sounds dandy and all, Dad, but we need the money and I just don't have time for that kind of stuff. Besides, I doubt any stallions would be interested in me."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're the prettiest girl in all of Hoofington."

She smirked. "Not in Equestria?"

"No, that was your mother."

She laughed and then looked down at the tube he was making. "What you working on here? A new order?"

"Oh, yes! You left before I could tell you! You remember that Pinkie Pie?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. Of course she remembered Pinkie Pie. Even though she had never met her, she was their best customer, ordering a new batch of fireworks for the parties she hosted every week. If it hadn't been for her, they would've been bankrupt by now.

"Well," her father continued, "she just placed an order for fifty crates of fireworks."

Dawn gasped. "Fifty? Wow. What's she planning this time?"

"They're for the fair in the Crystal Empire." His smile grew wider. "And she wants them hoof-delivered, and since I can't handle this many crates by myself…"

His daughter blinked. "Wait, are you saying…?"

"We're going to the Crystal Empire, Princess!"

She was silent for a long period of time and then let out a girlish squeal. They rarely had the chance to travel, and Fire Cracker usually went alone on deliveries so Dawn could hold down the fort. Ever since news spread about the Crystal Empire returning after a thousand years, Dawn had dreamed of going there. She imagined seeing the sparkling crystal ponies, the glorious crystal palace and the Crystal Princess, Cadence. Royals hardly ever visited Hoofington, so she hadn't seen any of the princesses, aside from Princess Celestia, but that was when she was eight.

Dawn's excitement was short-lived when another thought occurred to her. "How are we going to get there? The Crystal Empire is up north and we can't take the cart through all that snow."

"That's the best part," Fire Cracker replied. "We're going by train."

"Dad, do you have any idea how much two tickets to the crystal empire costs? Plus the freight train for the fireworks?

"Pinkie Pie thought about that and was more than generous."

His horn glowed and two train tickets hovered in the air. Dawn gasped and took them in her hooves.

"Are these real?"

"Yes. And you know what else is real?"

A check floated into her hooves. Her eyes widened when she read the amount.

"One thousand bits?"

"Pinkie paid us that in advance," Fire Cracker explained. "She'll give us another one after the fair."

Dawn tugged hard on her mane to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Not only would that money cover the costs for the delivery, but more than half of their debts! If that Pinkie Pie were there in person, she would hug her!

"This is…" Dawn tried to find the right words, "wonderful! When is the delivery due?"

"She wants us there in two days."

She stiffened. "Two days?! Dad, we'll have to work all night for that!"

"Then what are we doing standing around here talking for? Let's get to work!"

* * *

It was around six p.m. when the Crackers decided to break for dinner. Dawn liked to eat in her room. Tonight, her dinner was two pieces of stale bread with a daisy she had picked from outside stuck between them. She chewed her sandwich slowly as she glanced around her room.

Dawn was not the neatest of ponies. The trash can was overflowing, surrounded by crumpled pieces of paper. The few bits of clothing she had were scattered around the floor and over the foot of her bed. The sheets of her bed were tangled together. She hadn't made it or washed the sheets in months. It wasn't that she was sloppy. She just didn't have the time to pick everything up.

When she was done with her sandwich, she still had twenty minutes before her dad would call her back to the workroom. She glanced at the bookshelf on the wall. She didn't usually have time to read, but when she did, she found it very calming. She also didn't own that many books. She used to have a huge collection of comics, but had sold most of them to help her father pay the bills. All that was left was an old, tattered issue of _Power Ponies_, a battered up thesaurus with a dictionary to match, a cookbook which she almost never used because she was a lousy cook, and one novel, _The Prince and the Pauper_.

Before her mother had died of pneumonia when she was six, she would read Dawn that story every night. It was her favorite, and Dawn had kept that book in memory of her mother. She levitated the book from the shelf and opened to the page she had marked.

The unicorn felt she could relate to the pauper, Tom Canter. She didn't blame him for wanting to be a prince. Anything would've been an improvement from the life he had. At least Dawn's father wasn't as bad as Tom's and she wasn't begging on the streets. Still, her life pretty much sucked just as much. And, like Tom, if she had the opportunity to be a princess, she would take it.

She scoffed at the thought. "Me, a princess."

Dawn straightened up and stuck up her nose. "Servant, could you please put my book away so I don't have to do it myself?"

She laughed, but couldn't help but daydream. After all, every girl dreams of being a princess at some point in their life. What would it be like to live in a castle? It would certainly be better than this run-down old shed they called a house. Servants and cooks would come at her beck and call. She would have more food than she could ever eat, more money than she could ever spend and a whole walk-in closet of beautiful dresses. She would never have to work again and pay off her father's debts.

She also imagined meeting a handsome prince who would sweep her off her hooves.

But alas, it was only a dream. After all, you had to be an alicorn to be a princess.

Dawn then thought of Equestria's newest princess, Twilight Sparkle. She used to be a regular old unicorn like her, until Princess Celestia gave her wings. Dawn had never seen Princess Twilight but figured she was the luckiest pony in the world to go from being a unicorn to a princess just like that.

That could never happen to Dawn. Twilight Sparkle had earned her wings by saving Equestria countless times. Dawn was nothing special, just a normal unicorn struggling to help her dad with his financial problems. She couldn't even levitate a dozen plates, let alone save the world. She envied Twilight Sparkle and Tom Canter for becoming a prince even for a day.

The only thing she didn't understand about the story was why Prince Edward Trotter would give up his crown like that. Did he really think being poor was better than being a prince? Dawn knew the answer to that.

She glanced out the window at the evening sky. As she did, a shooting star went by. Dawn glanced down at her book and shrugged.

"Why not?"

She clutched the book to her chest, closed her eyes and whispered her wish:

"I wish I had a life like Princess Twilight Sparkle's."

Little did she know that far away, that very princess had wished on the same star.

* * *

**What? No! I didn't put myself in this story! *looks around with shifty eyes* Okay, okay, I did. Well, I put my avatar in there anyway (DF). My alternate first name Daphne was invented by Summer Piratepony who's writing a fanfic about me. I came up with the last name to fit in with my username initials.**

**I wanted the pauper character to not really be Twilight's polar opposite, but have some differences in her character (e.g. morning person vs. night owl). I kind of like how Dawn turned out in this chapter and I hope she stays that way.**

**Honestly, I don't know much about fireworks and that's why I didn't go into detail about the manufacturing of them.**


	3. The Crystal Empire

**Sheesh, transition chapters are boring, but necessary.**

* * *

The first thing Twilight did when she stepped off the train was inhale that warm, sweet air of the Crystal Empire.

"I'm so excited!" Pinkie Pie piped as she bounced onto the platform. "I mean last year's Crystal Fair was fun and all, but this one's going to be even better now that we don't have an evil shadow pony trying to destroy us all."

"Couldn't agree with ya more, Pinkie," Applejack chuckled.

Three fillies squealed as they rushed onto the platform.

"The Crystal Empire!" Sweetie Belle squeaked.

"No matter how many times we come here, it's still awesome!" Scootaloo declared.

"I can't wait until the fair!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"I wonder where Cadence is," Twilight said as she scoured the train station. "She said she'd be here to greet us."

"She's probably just running a little late," Rarity assured her. "You know how busy princesses are."

The alicorn's ears drooped. "I sure do."

Spike grunted as he shoved a pile of luggage off the train. Once it was on the platform, he paused to take a breath.

"Did we…" he panted, "have to…bring…so much…stuff?"

"We need those things for the Crystal Fair," Twilight reminded him.

A filly a few feet away from them gasped. "Mommy, look! It's Princess Twilight!"

That was enough to get every pony's heads turning. In a few seconds, Twilight and her friends were surrounded by fans: half of them wanting to see the princess, half of them wanting to see Spike, as he was the local hero.

"Oh my," Twilight said as many foals held up pictures of her. "You all want my autograph? Well, I suppose I could…"

She levitated a quill out of her saddlebag and hastily gave out signatures. Spike, who usually welcomed this much attention, was also trying to keep up with the number of ponies who wanted his autograph or picture.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the platform, Dawn Cracker was peering behind the train's caboose and gawking at the glorious crystal palace.

"Princess!" Fire Cracker called as he and the conductor lifted crates labeled "Danger: High Explosives" out of the freight car. "A little help here?"

"Huh?" Dawn blinked. "Oh! Sorry, Dad! It's just…this place is so…so…whoa!"

"Yup," her father grunted as he levitated one crate on top of another. "It'll look even more amazing once the sky is lit up with our fireworks." He paused to wipe the sweat off his brow. "But that won't happen if we stand around here daydreaming!"

"Oh, right."

Dawn's horn glowed as she began assisting her father.

"So where are we taking these?" she asked.

"Pinkie said we're to deliver them to the palace," he replied. "Maybe you'll get to see the princess after all."

As Fire Cracker levitated the next box, he winced in pain and put his hoof to his head.

"You okay, Dad?" Dawn asked in concern.

"Yeah," he groaned. "I'm just not as young as I used to be."

His daughter frowned. Lately, he'd been getting terrible migraines, especially when he used magic, which was why he needed Dawn around. It worried her, because they seemed to be getting more frequent than usual, but Fire Cracker kept shrugging it off.

She looked away from her father a moment to see ponies flocking to the other end of the platform. The crowd was so big that she couldn't see what was catching every pony's attention.

"Wonder what's going on over there," Dawn said.

Her father shrugged. "Probably just some celebrity. This is a pretty big event."

Neither of them realized just how big of a celebrity this pony was. Princess Twilight, her quill now burning with the number of autographs she had given, was searching for an opening in the crowd.

"Oh," she whined. "At this rate, we'll never get to the Crystal Palace!"

A familiar voice was her savior: "Alright, break it up, every pony! Break it up! Give the princess some space!"

Twilight turned to her right and her pupils dilated at the sight of the guard who had pushed through the crowd. This wasn't just any guard, but a certain orange pegasus with deep blue eyes, eyes that locked with hers. A warm, charming smile spread across his face.

"It is a pleasure to see you once again, your highness," the stallion said with a bow. "I trust you had a safe journey."

The alicorn said nothing for a while, only blushed. Her friends all exchanged knowing glances.

"F-f-f-flash!" she stammered, her wings popping up.

Flash Sentry looked up at her in surprise. "You know my name?"

Twilight's cheeks flushed redder. She knew more than just his name. She had met another version of him in an alternate world several months ago, one she had gotten close to. When returning, she had been shocked to find him in this universe too.

That's when she remembered that this Flash didn't know her as intimately as the human one, which would explain why he was speaking to her so formally. Spike had to nudge her side to snap her out of her thoughts.

"Oh," she uttered. "Y-yes, Sir Flash Sentry. Might I ask why you're here?"

"Princess Cadence requested that I escort you to the palace," the guard replied.

The alicorn blinked. "She did?"

She should've guessed her sister-in-law had something to do with this. Cadence had known of Twilight's crush on Flash ever since she had bumped into him after returning from the alternate world. It was hard to hide anything of this matter from the Princess of Love. She must've grown tired of letting nature take its course and decided to give the potential couple a push.

_Well, at least she's not putting a love spell on us or anything,_ Twilight thought.

"Very well," the alicorn said, regaining her composure. "Lead on, sir."

* * *

The Crystal Empire was the most beautiful place in Equestria, with crystal walkways, crystal buildings, crystal ponies, crystal everything. The empire was shimmering and full of life. Twilight, however, took no notice of this. She was too busy glancing at the guard walking beside her.

In the few times she had encountered this stallion, they had barely exchanged more than two sentences with each other. She felt guilty, but also afraid. Was he anything like the Flash Sentry she had met in the other world? Or was he different? Sure, he was friendly, but did he see her as anything other than a princess he was meant to protect?

She would admit this to herself: this version of Flash certainly was more attractive.

Her train of thought was interrupted when Rarity nudged her side.

"Say something to him!" the unicorn whispered harshly.

Twilight looked back at Flash to see if he had heard her. Luckily, he hadn't.

Her friend was right though. She had to break the ice at some point, and she would never get to know the Flash Sentry in this world if she didn't try.

"So…Flash," Twilight stammered. "How…how long have you been in Cadence's service?"

He turned his head and smiled. _Okay, good start_.

"Oh, just a few days before we met," he stated but then blushed. "I mean…before your last Royal Summit here, your highness."

She couldn't help but notice that blush. Had he been thinking about how they had bumped into each other upon her arrival in the Crystal Empire?

"What made you decide to become a member of the Royal Guard?" she asked.

"My grandpa, Watch Sentry, was in the Royal Guard and he was always telling me stories. I guess he inspired me."

Twilight gasped and stopped in her tracks. "Watch Sentry? As in _the_ Watch Sentry? As in the Watch Sentry who single-hoofedly stopped a rogue dragon from attacking Princess Celestia?"

Flash stopped too and blushed again. "Well, yeah. You've heard of him?"

"Heard of him? He's a legend! My brother was always talking about him! He was his idol! And you're his grandson?"

He smiled shyly away and dug his hoof in the ground. "Yeah, kinda… Anyways, I hope to be as brave and noble as he was someday."

"I'm sure you will."

This time, he looked her directly in the eye and they locked gaze for a long while.

"Ahem," Rainbow Dash said, crossing her hooves. "I hate to break up the love fest, but shouldn't we get going?"

"Oh, right!"

Flash and Twilight turned to each other again, realizing they had said that at the same time. They glanced away with equal shades of red on their faces. Twilight's friends couldn't help but chuckle, except for Rainbow, who was about to gag from all the mush.

In the throne room of the Crystal Palace, they were met with two rows of trumpeters. At the sight of Twilight, Cadence and Shining Armor leapt off their thrones.

"Twilie!" the latter cried, embracing his sister. "Glad you could make it."

"I'm glad to see you too, B.B.B.F.F.," Twilight grinned before turning to her sister-in-law. "Cadence!"

The two alicorns stood a foot away from each other and did their usual greeting: "Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

At the shake, Twilight looked up and noticed that Flash was watching and blushed in embarrassment.

"Err, yeah," she said, straightening up. "Thanks for inviting us here."

"Well, the Crystal Fair wouldn't be the same without all of you here," Cadence declared. "After all, you did help with the last one. I hope you don't mind helping with this one too. It's just that with so many ponies coming from outside of the empire this time, this one's going to be bigger than the last. We need all the help we can get."

"It's no problem, Princess," Applejack said, stepping forth. "We're happy to help."

"Ooh," Scootaloo said. "For the fair, do you think we could have a roller coaster?"

"And a Ferris wheel?" Sweetie Belle piped.

"How 'bout a merry-go-round?" Applebloom squealed.

Cadence laughed. "I think before we do any planning, you should all get settled in your rooms first. I gave you all the same rooms as last time. Oh, and Flash Sentry will show the little ones to their room."

Twilight glared at her sister-in-law and whispered, "I know what you're trying to do."

The pink alicorn looked up innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

As the other ponies followed Flash out of the room, Pinkie bounced up to the Princess of Love.

"Oh!" she piped. "I meant to tell you, Princess. I'm expecting a shipment of fireworks in a bit and often I would put them in my closet, but of course, I couldn't bring my closet on the train, so I was wondering if you had any place to store them until the event!"

Cadence smiled sweetly. "Of course, Pinkie Pie. There's plenty of room in the storage cellar. You can store them there until you can get a tent set up on the fairgrounds."

At that moment, another crystal guard stepped in and announced, "Your highness. There are a couple of ponies at the gates with crates of explosives. They're being checked for certification. Were you expecting a delivery?"

"That must be Fire Cracker!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced out of the throne room. "I'll take care of it!"

* * *

As the gate guards examined their papers, Dawn Cracker gazed up at the Crystal Palace above them. It was bigger than she had imagined. She wondered how many rooms there were and whether the princess used them all.

"Well, your certification for handling these types of explosives seems valid," one of the guards said. "However, we'll have to see some identification."

Fire Cracker sighed as he rummaged through his saddlebag. "Goodness. They certainly take a lot of precautions here."

Dawn cried out as she fell backward. She had been leaning back so far to see the top of the castle that she had lost her balance. Fire Cracker looked over his shoulder and laughed.

"Careful, honey. I know this place is a lot to take in, but don't kill yourself over it."

"It's okay, boys!" cried a high-pitched voice. "They're with me! I ordered these fireworks for the fair!"

Fire Cracker beamed at the sight of the pink pony. "Miss Pie! Pleasure to see…oomph!"

He gasped as Pinkie threw her hooves around his neck. "Oh, Cracker, you can call me Pinkie! All my friends do!"

"Right…" the red unicorn wheezed. "Pinkie…"

"This is going to be so much fun! First, we gotta get all these crates down to the storage cellar, and then we'll get you settled in a hotel and then I'll show you around the Crystal Empire and then we'll get the fireworks tent set up and move everything there!"

Pinkie Pie let go when she saw the lavender pony on the ground.

"Silly," she snorted. "You can't shoot fireworks from down there. You must be Dawn!"

She held out her hoof to help the unicorn up.

"Yeah," Dawn grunted. "Thanks."

Pinkie Pie's smile disappeared when the mare reached her eye-level. She squinted at the lavender unicorn and tilted her head in confusion. Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"What are you staring at?"

"Hmm," Pinkie uttered as she tapped her chin. "Have we met?"

"No."

"You look familiar. I can't quite put my hoof on it…"

The pink pony was now so close that their noses were touching. Dawn glanced at her father, but he only shrugged. Pinkie then smiled suddenly and backed away.

"Eh, I'll figure it out eventually. Come on, let's get this stuff moving!"

As the energetic mare bounced over to the crates, Dawn looked at her father.

"She's…interesting."

Fire Cracker shrugged again. "That's just how she is."

As the two unicorns began levitating the crates, Pinkie continued to stare at the lavender one.

"I could've sworn I've seen that face somewhere before…"

* * *

**A lot of you are probably gonna hate me for the inclusion of Flash. I don't know why people hate him so much. After all, he's not such a bad guy. So what if he's not fully developed in that Equestria Girls movie? That just gives us fanfic writers the opportunity to expand on his character.**


	4. The Meeting

**In case anyone is confused: this story is in no way related to the "Bride of Discord" universe.**

* * *

Dawn's mouth dropped open as soon as she saw the room Pinkie Pie had gotten for her and her father. It was small, but the walls were pink and the beds had lush pillows and the carpets were warm and fuzzy beneath her hooves.

"We're staying _here_ all weekend?!"

"Yup!" Pinkie Pie chimed. "I would've hooked you up at the palace, but the guest rooms were booked."

"Are you kidding?!" Dawn exclaimed as she fell backward on one of the beds. She sighed at how soft it was. "I've died and gone to Heaven!"

Fire Cracker chuckled. "This was very generous of you, Pinkie."

Pinkie grinned. "Always willing to help out a friend!"

Dawn gasped when she noticed another door and galloped over to it. "What's in here?"

"Oh. That's the bathroom."

"You mean it comes with a _bathroom_ too?!" She opened the door and stepped inside. "Wow, it's so clean and…"

She let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Dawnie, what's the matter?" Fire Cracker asked in concern.

"DAD, IT HAS A FREAKING BATHTUB!" They heard the sound of running water. "AND IT WORKS!"

Pinkie looked at the red unicorn questioningly.

"We live a…sheltered life," he explained before calling to his daughter. "Sweetie, isn't there something you'd like to say to Pinkie?"

The lavender pony poked her head out, wearing a big grin. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Hey, do these little soaps cost extra?"

"No, they're free," replied Pinkie.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a good, loooooong bath!"

She squealed excitedly before slamming the door. Fire Cracker laughed and shook his head.

"Sorry, Pinkie. Guess we're going to have to wait on that tour."

"That's okay," Pinkie assured him. "My friends are expecting me anyway. Oh, but be at the fairgrounds at one o'clock! The fair is tomorrow and we've got to get busy, busy, busy!"

She was about to bounce away when she turned back to Fire Cracker.

"By the way, does Dawn have a sister?"

The stallion scrunched his nose. "No."

"A cousin?"

"No."

"Second cousin?"

"No."

"Third cousin six times removed by a ninth cousin?"

"Err…no."

"Any distant relatives of any kind that might look a teensy bit like Dawn?"

"The only other family we have is my Uncle Smokey, but we haven't heard from him since his ship left Horseshoe Bay."

Pinkie's eyes blinked and then narrowed in determination as she stomped down the hall. "I'll figure it out. I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, won't rest until I find out where I've seen that face before!"

* * *

Twilight gazed out the window of her room in the Crystal Palace. It was a splendid view. She could see almost the entire empire. She saw little crystal foals playing happily in the streets: jumping rope, bouncing balls, shooting marbles. She didn't need to hear them to know they were laughing.

She found it funny that she was envying them. After all, she didn't really do those things when she was a filly. Instead of playing with the other foals, she would sit on a patch of soft grass and read. It seemed like the more royal duties she fulfilled, the more she felt like she needed a break. Not just a few short hours to read, but a full day, maybe even longer.

Her head turned sharply at a soft knock. Flash Sentry was standing in the doorway.

"Permission to enter, your highness?"

Once Twilight was over her shock, she replied, "Granted."

He stepped into the room, but didn't approach her. "Princess Cadence asked me to call you back to the throne room to begin preparations for the fair."

"Oh," the alicorn uttered. "Right." She glanced back out the window. "The fair."

Of course he was only here on business, not because he wanted to talk to her or anything.

The guard raised an eyebrow and took a cautious step forward. "Is something wrong, your highness?"

Twilight winced and let out a groan as he said "your highness."

"You don't have to address me so formally, you know," she said coolly. "Just Twilight would be fine."

"Oh," Flash said, smiling a little. "Do you have all the royal guards call you Twilight?"

She was grateful he couldn't see her face, for she was blushing.

"Um…no?"

She winced as soon as she told the truth.

"Really?" Flash said slyly. "So I guess I'm a special case?"

A shiver ran up her spine at his tone. His professional air had completely dissolved now and he was sounding like the other Flash.

"Um…" she stammered. "Well, I…"

She gasped when she turned and found that he was standing right beside her. Now he could see her face for sure, and that it was turning as red as a tomato. She made the mistake of looking into his deep blue eyes. If she hadn't been sitting, her knees would've collapsed under her then and there.

She didn't know how long she had been staring, but Flash didn't give any sign that he minded. He just kept smiling that friendly smile, which didn't make the situation any better.

His shape was different, of course, but every other characteristic just reminded her of the human Flash: those eyes, that smile, that playful yet friendly tone.

She had to say something quick, or else she was going to lose it.

"Well, I…" she stuttered. "I-I just don't want t-t-to think of you as a…g-g-guard, b-but more as a…f-f-friend?"

She mentally slapped herself for sounding so stupid. She expected him to laugh, but instead, his smile just grew wider.

"Okay," he said with a bow. "As you command, your highness. Or should I say Twilight? Or Twi? How about just Light?"

The alicorn giggled at his playfulness, which eased her nerves. "Just Twilight, please."

"So, as a friend, may I ask what you were looking at out there?"

Her smile faded. "Oh. It was nothing. I was just watching the crystal ponies out there." She sighed. "They don't have to worry about anything. Well, now that Sombra's gone, anyway. They don't have any endless lists of royal duties to go through every day."

Flash tilted his head. "Princess Cadence told me you loved endless lists."

Twilight looked up at him with wide eyes and gulped. "W-what else did she say about me?"

"Oh, not much. Just that you're really smart and pretty and courageous and independent…" He paused. "Actually, she talks about you a lot."

_I can only imagine why_, the alicorn thought, her cheeks flushing again.

She suddenly felt so self-centered that they were only talking about her. She wanted to know more about him.

"So Flash…where are you from?"

"I…"

"Hello?"

The two tuned to see Spike standing in the doorway.

"We're all waiting for you guys!" the dragon complained as he held up a scroll. "Come on, we've got a schedule to keep!"

Twilight never thought she'd ever think this, but she was beginning to hate schedules.

"He's right," Flash admitted. "There's a lot to be done today."

"Yeah," she sighed.

He gave her one more smile before walking out the door. "I'll see you later."

She beamed. "Bye."

Twilight watched in awe as the handsome guard left. Spike followed her gaze and gave her a suspicious look. He crossed his arms.

"I know what you're thinking, Twilight."

"W-what?" she said, shaking out of her daze.

"Come on. I may be young, but I'm not stupid. A tall, handsome stallion, looks a lot like a guy you really got attached to in the other world…"

Twilight blushed for a second, but regained her composure. "So what if he reminds me of the other Flash? So what if he's…attractive?"

"Twilight, this isn't the same Flash Sentry you met in the other world. Sure, he has the same name and looks like him, but you still don't know him. He might not be anything like the other one."

"Why not? That other Rarity and Fluttershy and all the others were just like the ones in this world."

"Yeah, but…you should still be careful. I…I don't want you to get hurt, Twilight."

Twilight grinned and patted the dragon on the head. "It's sweet that you're looking out for me, Spike, but I can handle myself."

He smiled up at her. "Okay. Now," he held up his scroll, "the fair…"

She sighed. "Right."

It wasn't a total bummer. After preparations, they would have a whole day to enjoy the fair and she'd finally get the break she'd been wishing for.

* * *

"What's next on the list, Spike?" Twilight asked as they walked through the fairgrounds.

"Fireworks," Spike replied. "We have to set up the tent and store all the fireworks inside until the evening tomorrow."

"Let's see," the alicorn mused as she levitated the ground plan in front of her. "It should be over by the crystal corn stand."

They saw that Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were almost finished putting the tent up.

"How's it going, girls?" Twilight inquired.

The fillies grunted as they each held a rope in their mouth. After Rainbow hammered the three ropes into the ground with stakes, they shouted:

"Doing good!"

"Except this rope keeps running away from me!" Pinkie exclaimed as she tugged on her end. "Come on, rope! Stop slipping!"

She cried out as the rope pulled her forward. Suddenly, it stopped when Pinkie felt some pony else tug on the rope. She turned around and gasped when she saw who it was.

"Hey there, little darling!"

"CHEESE!" Pinkie squealed as she threw her hooves around the orange stallion.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow shouted.

In their excitement, Pinkie and Cheese had let go of the rope. Twilight snagged it with her magic and hammered it firmly into the ground.

"Sorry," Pinkie said guiltily before turning back to Cheese. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "My Cheesy Sense told me there was a big party going on here involving you. And, well…" He blushed. "How could I _not_ come?"

"It's good that you're here," Twilight smiled. "We need all the help we can get for this thing if we're gonna get it done by tomorrow. Rainbow, girls, get to work on the next tent."

"Roger!" Rainbow and the Cutie Mark Crusaders saluted before taking off.

"Now, Pinkie, where are those fireworks you promised us?"

"Coming through!" called a voice.

Twilight turned and gawked when she saw a tower of crates encased in a red aura. The unicorn stallion levitating them was panting heavily.

"Good heavens, Pinkie!" the princess exclaimed. "How many fireworks did you order?"

"Oh, just fifty," Pinkie replied nonchalantly.

"Fifty?" Cheese Sandwich repeated, crossing his hooves. "I'm surprised at you, Pinkie! Sure, fifty fireworks would be good for a birthday bash, but for an event like this, you'll need at least a hundred!"

"No, no, no, no, no! I meant fifty _crates_."

His face lit up. "Oh. Well, in that case…" He snickered. "Get it? In that _case_?!"

The two party ponies burst out laughing. Twilight shook her head with a grin.

"Guess we can check fireworks off the list," she muttered to Spike.

As she walked away from the tent, she nearly bumped into another tower of boxes. Both she and the unicorn levitating them let out a cry.

"Oh gosh!" Twilight gasped.

"Who…what?" the pony on the other side of the crates uttered.

"Oh, excuse me!"

"It's no problem!"

"I'll just…walk around then."

"Yeah, you do that."

Twilight moved past the pony without glancing at her face. "Now, what's…?"

She trailed off when she noticed Spike looking curiously over his shoulder.

"Spike, what is it?"

The dragon squinted. "I thought I saw…" He shook his head. "Never mind."

Dawn heaved a sigh of relief that she hadn't crashed into that pony. She could've severely hurt her, or blown up the entire empire if she wasn't careful. No, she was overreacting. These fireworks were designed to only explode when lit. Still, she had to be prudent not to drop them.

She took in a deep breath the minute she set them down. She then noticed her father leaning against one of the crates, cradling his head.

"Another one of your migraines, Dad?" she asked gently.

"I'm fine," Fire Cracker said, holding up his hoof. "I just need a little rest."

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich were counting the crates.

"I got twenty-three on my side," Pinkie declared.

"Twenty-two over here," said Cheese.

"Hey, there are only forty-five! Or maybe we miscounted."

She counted them again, by herself, this time, but she came up with the same number.

"That's funny," Fire Cracker said, rubbing his forehead. "We came here with fifty."

"We must have left some in the cellar by accident," Dawn suggested.

Her father grunted as he attempted to rise. "I'll get them."

"No," his daughter softly commanded. "You take a break, Dad. I'll get them."

As she exited the tent, Cheese Sandwich watched her with a confused look on his face.

"Hmm, she looks familiar," he muttered to Pinkie.

"You mean you see it too?" Pinkie asked. "I've been trying to figure out where I've seen her before all day! And she doesn't have a sister or a third cousin six times removed by a ninth cousin."

"Well, I've traveled all of Equestria. I could've seen her at one of my parties. Where does she live?"

"Hoofington."

Cheese tapped his chin. "Hoofington, Hoofington, Hoofington…" He paused and then shrugged. "Nope. Not ringing any bells."

"Ooh! There's a crystal bell tower not far from here! Maybe that'll help!"

Most ponies would've scratched their heads at this idea, but Cheese Sandwich just grinned.

"That's a fantastic idea!"

"Race ya there!"

The two party ponies skidded off at the speed of lightning. Fire Cracker, who had only heard half their conversation, was scratching his head, as most ponies would've done. After a while, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"They make a perfect couple."

* * *

"…apple fritters, apple dumplings and apple brown betties!"

Twilight and Spike were checking on the food in the palace kitchen and Applejack had just finished listing the number of baked goods she had ready and in the oven.

"Come mornin' light," the cowgirl declared, "my apple cart will be filled with delicious treats!"

"Food: check!" Spike said proudly. "Okay, next we need to check on the rides."

"Princess Twilight?"

The alicorn lit up at the voice and turned to the stallion in the doorway. "Flash! Nice to see you again!"

Spike blinked. "Uh…you just saw him two hours ago."

Twilight blushed awkwardly, but Flash grinned.

"Nice to see you too, Princess."

"I told you," the alicorn insisted. "Call me Twilight."

"Actually, Princess Cadence sent me."

Her ears drooped. "Of course, she did."

"She and Prince Shining Armor wish to see you in the throne room as soon as possible."

"Oh. Alright. Spike, you stay here."

The dragon heaved a sigh. "Finally! Now I can get to reading this!"

He took a _Power Ponies_ comic book out of his backpack. While Twilight wasn't a connoisseur of comics, she saw that it was brand new.

"Where'd you get that?"

"At the Crystal Comic Bookstore," Spike replied as he sat on a flour sack in the corner. "Did you know they had a comic store here?"

Applejack chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't get sucked into this one."

The mares laughed at their inside joke. Spike grunted while Flash raised an eyebrow.

"What was that about?" he asked Twilight as he walked alongside her down the hallway.

"Long story," the princess giggled. "Let's just say Spike's not allowed to buy from the House of Enchanted Comics ever again."

A long, awkward period of silence followed. Once again, Twilight was trying to find the appropriate topic to bring up.

"So…any idea what Cadence and Shining Armor want? Is there a problem of some sort?"

"Beats me," Flash replied with a shrug. "All I know is that Princess Cadence looked distressed while reading a letter from Canterlot and asked me to get you at once."

When they entered the throne room, Cadence was pacing back and forth, looking uncomfortable. Shining Armor was standing off to the side, growing more worried with every second he watched his wife.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked.

Cadence paused and bit her lip. "Flash, I wish to discuss this matter with Twilight in private."

The guard bowed. "Of course, your highness."

He took the liberty of shutting the doors behind him, leaving the three royals to their matters. Cadence looked sincerely at her sister-in-law.

"Twilight, you are familiar with my cousin, Prince Blueblood?"

The younger alicorn cringed at the mention of the prince. She had never met him, but Rarity had told her he was rude, stuck-up and full of himself. Twilight responded to the question with a slow nod.

"Well," Cadence said, glancing at her hooves, "I just received word from him that he's coming to the Crystal Fair, and…he wishes to meet you."

Twilight tilted her head. "Meet me?"

"Now, Twilie," Shining Armor said, stepping toward his sister, "you should know that since he is a prince, your only duty is to treat him with respect."

"I knew that, but why is his coming here such a big deal?"

Cadence looked away. "There have been rumors…and…this isn't the first time Blueblood's asked to meet you…"

"Well, sure. He'd probably want to know all the royals."

"That's not all. You see…for some time, my cousin's been looking for a wife and…he originally was going to settle for a young duchess or some mare of high society. But since you came and…well, you're the only princess who isn't related to him…he might…"

Twilight's eyes widened as the pieces came together. "Are you saying that Prince Blueblood wants to marry me?"

The pink alicorn nodded. Twilight looked to her brother in desperation.

"But I don't have to, do I? I mean there are no arranged marriages anymore, right? You guys married for love, didn't you?"

"We're not asking you to marry him, Twilight," Shining Armor assured her.

"Then why are you telling me all this?"

"We're telling you this so you can be on your guard," Cadence explained. "You have every right to refuse his advances, if he makes any. However, you must still show him courtesy. Obnoxious as my cousin is, he's still a prince. You don't have to go anywhere with him. The worst you'll have to do is talk with him or sit beside him in the banquet hall. It is customary for the royals to sit at the high end of the table. All I'm saying is that while he is visiting, be kind but firm with him."

Twilight bit her lip. "When's he arriving?"

"A few hours."

"Don't worry, Twilie," Shining Armor said, putting a hoof around his sister. "If he tries anything, he'll answer to me."

She sighed. "Okay."

Shining Armor and Cadence exchanged a confused glance.

"I didn't expect you to be excited," the latter said, "but…is something else bothering you, Twilight?"

Twilight looked up at her sister-in-law. "Remember a short while ago when I said I wanted to play a bigger role in Equestria? Well, now I feel like it's too big of a role." She hung her head. "I know, I know. I must seem very nit-picky, but… Lately, it's been nothing but duty after duty. While I'm happy to perform every one of them, I…I feel like I need a break. I haven't spent any real quality time with my friends in weeks, and there's hardly a moment where I can just…well, do nothing."

Cadence stared down at the younger alicorn and smiled. "I understand, Twilight."

"You do?"

The pink princess walked towards one of the windows and motioned for the other to follow.

"When I was a teenager," she began, "I had the same problem. There were times when I just wanted to hang out with my friends or your brother. However, royal duties would get in the way every now and then. I'm going to tell you the same thing Aunt Celestia told me when I approached her with this issue."

She glanced out the window. "Look at those ponies out there. What do you see?"

Twilight followed her gaze and grinned down at the foals running about. "Young fillies and colts that have no royal duties to worry about?"

"They may not have _royal_ duties, but they still have duties. They have a duty to obey their parents, to go to sleep on time, to eat their greens, to go to school and do their homework, so they can learn and grow up well. And look at that carrot dog vendor over there. He has a duty to make and sell carrot dogs so he can feed himself and his family. Even that grandmother there has a duty: to take care of herself in her golden years and watch over her grandchildren."

Cadence turned to Twilight again. "Don't you see? Every pony, big and small, no matter what their station, has a duty in life. Usually, that duty must come before pleasure."

The lavender alicorn sighed. "I guess. But don't all ponies deserve a break? Even for just one day?"

Her sister-in-law grinned. "I'll promise you this. Tomorrow, when all preparations are done, you can go out and enjoy the fair without me asking you for any more favors. Does that sound good?"

This cheered Twilight up a little, but the thought of Prince Blueblood and a possible crowd of groupies following her all day kept her blues at bay.

* * *

As Dawn carried the last five crates through the crystal halls, she couldn't help but gaze at the wonders around her. She paused at beautiful stain glass windows depicting the history of the Crystal Empire. Even a doorknob made her gasp, for nearly everything was made of pure, sparkling crystal.

"Princess Cadence must love living here," she muttered to herself. "I wonder how long it takes to polish this place. How many servants would it even take?"

She was snapped out of her thoughts as one of the boxes slid off the top. She discovered it in time and quickly caught it before it could hit the floor.

"Focus, Dawn," she whispered. "Don't drop them, don't drop them, don't drop them…"

She stopped suddenly and found herself in an unfamiliar hallway.

"Okay, where am I?"

Around the corner, Princess Twilight was walking slowly with her head down.

"Just what I need," she mumbled. "A stuck-up prince coming to court me."

The very thought of Prince Blueblood standing within two inches of her made her shudder. While she had never spoken with the prince, she had seen him a couple of times, so she knew what he looked like. Even as a teenager, she had not found the prince very attractive. She didn't know why. There was something about his suave appearance that made her uncomfortable.

Would he even be nice to her? He hadn't treated her friend Rarity very courteously. Even if he did act the opposite towards her, would it be because he really liked her or because she was a princess? That went hand in hand with the question of why he wanted to court her. She was the only princess in the land who wasn't his relative. In his eyes, she was his only option.

"Maybe if I act so horrible, he would give up on me." She sighed. "But I have to be polite to him, or else I'll let Cadence down."

Meanwhile, Dawn was spinning around, trying to figure out which way to go. She'd only been in this castle once before, but had been concentrating so much on the crates that she hadn't been paying attention to where she had been going.

"Do I go this way or…? Oh!"

She hastily caught another falling crate.

"Phew! Okay. So the cellar's back there, so if I go back the way I came…" She paused again. "Or did I come from this way? Or did I…? Ugh! Everything looks the same!"

Twilight paused when she heard a shout from around the corner. "Hello?"

"Gah!"

The voice startled Dawn, breaking her concentration. The pink aura disappeared from the crates and they plummeted to the floor. Dawn gasped and caught them with her magic, but her hold on them was unstable. They started drifting towards her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

She maneuvered around to the other side of the crates so they would miss her. Unfortunately, her sudden move created a pull on them and they floated towards her again. This time, faster.

"Oh boy!" she cried, backing away.

"Hello?" Twilight called again as she rounded the corner.

"Yipe!"

The crystal floor caused Dawn's hooves to slip out from under her. She landed on her rear and started sliding backwards across the floor, the rogue boxes pursuing her. Twilight finally looked in the direction of the noise.

"Is someone…? Gah!"

"Incoming!"

There was a loud crash as one mare collided into the other and the boxes, released from Dawn's magic, fell on top of them. The wooden crates burst open and firework shells flooded the place.

Twilight crawled out of the pile, tossing a broken plank off her head.

"What in the…?"

Her ears perked up when she heard a painful groan. She turned and saw a lavender rear end and dark blue tail sticking out from under the sea of unlit fireworks.

"Oh goodness!" the princess exclaimed as she climbed over the mess. "Don't worry! I'll get you out of there."

Her horn glowed pink and she gently pulled the mare out of the clutter. It was a unicorn about her age with a dark blue mane.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked, holding out her hoof.

Dawn glanced up at the lavender hoof and slowly took it.

"Yeah," she grunted as the stranger helped her up. "Thank…you."

* * *

**I know, I'm mean. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Though the chapter was getting lengthy and I don't usually like my chapter exceeding 7000 words, so I split it up.**

**Cheese Sandwich popped out of nowhere. And yes...Blueblood's going to be in this. I find it interesting how I've never really written about him yet. Might be a new challenge.**


	5. The Switch

**This was a tough chapter to write, plus there was BronyCon in the way. I had to watch various versions of The Prince and the Pauper for inspiration when I was stuck (you've probably noticed I started some PMVs on the Barbie version).**

* * *

Both mares were silent as purple eyes met purple eyes. They simultaneously lifted a hoof to brush the bangs out of those eyes, dark blue bangs that fell just below the brow, parted on the side. Two lavender faces slowly leaned towards each other until their noses were an inch apart.

One mare took a step to her right, so did the other. They circled around each other, their matching eyes not breaking contact, until they had changed positions. As if they were mirroring each other, they both reached out a hoof and touched the other's face. When they realized the other was real, they let out equal gasps.

They slowly put down their hooves and continued to stare.

The pony standing before Dawn had her face, her eyes, and her color! Her mane was also dark blue, only it was longer and straighter, with pink and purple highlights.

Twilight was shocked at the resemblance this strange mare had to her. The only difference so far seemed to be their manes. While this pony's was dark blue, it was shorter and messier, with wisps sticking out from behind her neck, and there were no other colors woven into it. That's how she knew she wasn't a changeling. A changeling would've copied her completely.

Despite the small differences, they could've been twins.

After a few more seconds of silence, Twilight exclaimed, "Not again!"

That broke the trance. Dawn blinked back in confusion.

"Not again?"

Twilight leaned forward and tilted her head as she studied the unicorn's face. "You're not by any chance from the future, are you? Or an alternate universe?"

Dawn blinked again. "Not that I know of. Wait." She scrunched her nose. "You mean that actually happened to you?"

The princess bit her lip. "Yes."

"Which one? The future thing or the alternate universe thing?"

"Both, actually."

"Say what?"

"Never mind. It's just…so mind-blowing…"

"I know, right? It's just so…"

"Whoa," they said together.

They gasped. "You even sound like…" They shook their heads. "You look just like…" They winced. "You're…"

After saying their fourth sentence together, their mouths broke into smiles and those smiles turned into laughs.

"You're not another me, are you?" Twilight giggled.

Dawn scoffed. "Not unless we're twins separated at birth, but I think my parents would've mentioned that little detail."

"It's just remarkable!" The princess circled round the unicorn, taking in every detail of her. "I mean the fur color, the facial and bone structure, the height, the mane and eye color… It's virtually impossible for two random ponies to have this many physical traits in common!"

"Well, I think this would disprove that statement."

"What's your name?" they asked at once.

Twilight giggled. "You first."

The unicorn held out her hoof. "Dawn Cracker. Pleased to meet ya."

The alicorn raised an eyebrow as she shook her hoof. "Dawn Cracker?"

"You know, like the crack of dawn?" She sighed. "Dad thought it was clever."

"I think it's a pretty name."

"Well, you'd be the first. And you are?"

The alicorn was delighted that for once, she wasn't recognized. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."

Dawn's eyes widened as she heard the name. She then glanced at her doppelganger's back and noticed the wings for the first time.

"Oh my gosh!" she shouted, instantly dropping to the floor and bowing her head. "Forgive me, your highness, for running into you! I am such a klutz! And forgive me for not recognizing you!"

Twilight stifled a laugh. "No need for that. I'm really not used to being bowed to. And don't worry, it was an accident."

Dawn looked up, nervousness lingering in her eyes. "Sorry!"

"No need to apologize."

"Sorry!" the unicorn shouted, scrambling to her hooves.

Twilight chuckled. "Wow. You really _are_ like me!" She tapped her chin. "I wonder how alike we are."

Dawn glanced at her rear. "Well, for one thing, I don't have wings. We also don't have the same cutie mark."

"And your tail is shorter," the alicorn added.

"Yeah, I like my hair cut short. I also don't have those fancy highlights. Say, they look pretty good! Where'd you get them done?"

"Um…my hair is natural."

Dawn got down on the floor again. "Oh, I'm sorry, your highness!"

"It's okay. And enough with the "your highness." You may call me Twilight."

The unicorn looked up in awe. "Really?"

"Sure. After all, you could be my sister, so it only seems fair."

Dawn smiled and stood up, but as she did, her hoof stepped on one of the firework sticks and she nearly tripped.

"Oh, dear!" she exclaimed as she glanced around at the mess. "I'm supposed to get these to my dad at the fireworks tent!"

"Oh!" Twilight grinned. "So you're Fire Cracker's daughter! Pinkie told me about you." She gazed at her face. "Though she didn't bring up the important details…"

Dawn chuckled. "Now I know why she thought I looked familiar."

"Here, I'll help you clean up."

"Oh, I can't let you do that. You're a princess and…"

"It's no problem, really. I love cleaning up."

She used her magic and started mending the crates. Dawn stared slack-jawed at her horn. Twilight noticed.

"What?"

"Something else we have in common!"

Dawn lit up her horn as she began organizing the fireworks sticks. Twilight gasped at the fact that their magical auras were both magenta.

"Amazing," she uttered. "So what else do we have in common?"

"How about you ask a question and then I ask a question?" Dawn suggested.

"Fair enough." The princess continued her mending as she asked her first question: "How do you feel about books?"

"Oh, I love books! I don't own a lot though and don't have a lot of time to read."

"I can't even count the number of books I've read! I used to live in a library full of them!"

"Wow! I can only imagine that may books!"

Twilight chuckled. "It's funny. Just the other night I was reading _The Prince and the Pauper_."

Dawn stopped levitating the fireworks and gasped. "No kidding?! That's my favorite book!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I read a bit of it almost every night, including last night!"

The two locked eyes and stared at each other's faces again.

"I've heard of uncanny coincidences," Twilight said, "but you have to admit, even in a magical world, this is just incredible!"

"I know!" Dawn exclaimed. Then she frowned suddenly. "Huh. I guess that means I'm the pauper."

The princess' face fell. "Oh. Are you…poor?"

The unicorn shrugged. "Only compared to…most. At least we have a roof over our heads…for now."

"Gee."

"But we get by. I mean come on. It could be worse, right?"

"I suppose." Twilight felt she should change the subject. "Okay. Your turn."

"Hmm," Dawn said, tapping her chin. "Do you like comic books?"

"Not really, but Spike does."

"Spike?"

"My baby dragon. He's my closest friend and number one assistant. I've never read his comics, but we did get sucked into one."

Dawn gasped. "Really? That's so cool! How'd that happen?"

"Word of advice: don't shop at the House of Enchanted Comics."

The unicorn giggled. "You mean they're _literally_ enchanted?"

"Yup, and a whole lot of trouble. Next question: do you study, and if so, what?"

"I don't really study much, except pyrotechnics. It's a job requirement, you know?"

"I once read a book on pyrotechnics. It sounds complicated."

"Not really. Roll up a tube, toss in some stars, sprinkle some black powder, light the end and boom! Aerial fireworks! Dad and I have been making them together since I got my cutie mark. Well, of course, I wasn't allowed to handle the chemicals until I was older."

"I've been studying magic since I first saw Celestia raise the summer sun, as well as anything else that interests me, mostly science, history and rhetoric."

"Sheesh. Where do you find the time to learn all that?"

Twilight hung her head. "I don't. Not anymore, anyway."

Dawn wondered what that meant and was about to ask when a sudden pain in her head interrupted her. Her magic stopped as she put her hoof to her head and dropped the fireworks she had been levitating.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

"No," the unicorn groaned. "My head hurts."

The princess looked at her closely. "Have you been sleeping well?"

"You kidding? I _never_ sleep well! I stayed up all night finishing this order and had to catch the early train!"

"That would explain it. Working too hard and not getting enough sleep can affect your magic. It happens to me sometimes."

"This happens at least three times a week."

"Goodness. Maybe you should get some rest." Twilight entwined her foreleg with hers. "Come on. My room's on this floor. You can lie on my bed for a bit."

"Oh, but I don't want to be a bother, Princess."

"Don't be silly. A princess is always willing to help her subjects, as well as her friends."

"But the fireworks, I'm supposed to get them to my dad and…"

Twilight's horn glowed. "We'll just bring them along with us. Besides, we won't really need them until tomorrow night."

"No, I can carry them myself…"

"You're in no condition to do such a thing at the moment."

"But…"

"No arguments!"

Dawn sighed in defeat. She really didn't want to argue with a princess, but she still felt bad that a royal was carrying her load and walking her down the hall. It just didn't sit right, but then again, Twilight wasn't what she expected a princess to be like. So far, she had treated her like an equal rather than another common subject. Was she always like that or was she only being nice because they were lookalikes?

How did that happen anyway? How was it that she resembled a princess? They'd already ruled out the possibility that they were long-lost twins.

Twilight was wondering the same thing. Perhaps they were distant cousins and shared a great-great-great-great-great-grandparent or something? A part of her was still saying Dawn was a changeling, but if so, why would the changeling not copy her completely?

When they reached Twilight's room, Dawn let out a gasp and she suddenly felt lighter than air.

"_This_ is your room?!" she exclaimed as she gazed at the glittering crystal walls and furniture.

"Only during my visit," Twilight replied.

"Still! By Celestia's beard, this is amazing!"

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. "Um, Celestia doesn't have a beard…"

"I mean look at the floor! So shiny, I can see myself! And a closet!" She opened the green armoire up and gawked at the colorful gowns. "So many dresses!" She felt the fabric. "Is this silk?"

"Actually, it's satin, but…"

"And the bed!" She walked over to the purple queen-sized bed. "It's the biggest bed I've ever seen!"

"It's really not that big…"

"Oh my!" Dawn squealed as she touched the mattress with her hoofs. "It's so…soft!"

Without asking, she leapt backward onto the bed, spread out her legs and let out a content sigh.

"Forget Heaven! I'm in Elysium!"

Twilight blinked. "Technically, Heaven and Elysium are one in the same, both being spiritual utopian worlds for departed…"

"Who cares? It's paradise!"

The alicorn smiled at the unicorn's enthusiasm. "I suppose it is a nice room…"

Dawn propped herself up on her elbow. "Nice? Didn't you hear me comparing it with Elysium? What I'd give to have a room like this!"

"Oh, what's your room like?" Twilight asked as she seated herself on the bed beside her.

"It's a mess! And it's cramped! And the bed is lumpy!"

"Why not get a new mattress? Or at least clean things up a bit?"

"Any idea how much a mattress costs? And I don't have time to clean things up!"

"Hmm," Twilight uttered, rubbing her chin.

She summoned a blackboard in front of them and in chalk drew a two-column chart. One column was labeled "Similarities," the other "Differences."

"Okay, so first there's our faces," Twilight said, putting a mark in the first column, "then our eyes, our mane color, our fur color…"

"What are you doing?" Dawn questioned.

"Just keeping track of how many traits we have in common and how many we don't. For instance, under "Differences," I would put one tally to represent our separate cutie marks and then one more for my tidiness and your sloppiness."

"Hey!"

"I just want to see how alike we really are."

Dawn tilted her head at the blackboard and shrugged. "Okay, I'll bite. Might be fun."

"Let me just put a few more tallies. Hmm, so we like to read, I'm a princess and you're…um, not; we have the same height; I have a greater habit of studying…"

* * *

An hour later, the doppelgangers were laughing on the bed.

"Okay, I've got one!" Dawn declared. "This is a little weird, but how do you feel about…ketchup and peanut butter sandwiches?"

Twilight gasped and then narrowed her eyes at her. "I _love_ them."

"No kidding? Most ponies think it's gross!"

"I know, right? Though personally, I don't blame them for that thought. It's not a combination you would initially think of."

"Well, when ketchup is cheaper than jelly, you take what you can get."

"Okay," Twilight said as she made a tally on the board. "So far that's eighteen similarities and twenty-seven differences. Seems most of what we share in common are our physical traits."

"It's no biggy. This just proves we're not clones."

"Then how _do_ we look so much alike then?"

Dawn shrugged. "You know what? It could just be one of those funny twists of Fate. It's best not to question it."

Twilight sighed. "I suppose you're right. If there's one thing I learned, it's that Fate has a funny way of sneaking up on you." She tapped her chin. "Then again… Dawn, when's your birthday?"

"April 25th. Why?"

The alicorn dropped her piece of chalk. "That's _my_ birthday!"

Dawn's mouth dropped open. "Seriously?"

"Yes! At 6:37 P.M.!"

"I don't know what time I was born, just that my parents told me it was at the crack of dawn. That's how I got my name."

"I was born just as the sun was setting, at twilight!"

Both were silent for a while.

"That's the connection!" Twilight exclaimed. "We were born on the same day! Somehow, that made us identical!"

"Wow," Dawn whispered. "But…why?"

"I don't know. Guess it is Fate after all."

"But I mean…we're from completely different worlds! You're a princess for crying out loud! By the way, how come you don't wear a crown?"

"Oh. I just don't like to wear it that often."

"But you still have a crown, right?"

"Of course."

Dawn sprang up excitedly. "Can I see?"

"Sure. Give me a second."

Twilight used her magic to open her side table drawer and take out her golden crown with the five magenta gems encrusted into its points. Dawn's jaw dropped again as the beautiful headpiece floated into her hooves.

"Whoa," she uttered, staring at the gems. "Are…are these real?"

"They're four carats each," Twilight explained.

"It's so…shiny!"

"I suppose it's nice, but my old crown…"

"Can I, um…?"

Dawn pointed to her head.

"Go ahead. I won't mind."

The unicorn grinned widely and placed the crown on her head. She rushed over to crystal vanity and examined herself in the mirror. She gazed in awe as she adjusted the tiara.

"Whoa," she said again, not taking her eyes off her reflection. "You are _so_ lucky, Twilight! You have _everything_!"

Twilight beamed. "I don't know about _everything_…"

"You're a _princess_! You live in a castle, wear a crown, can do whatever you want whenever you want…"

"Not really," the alicorn sighed, walking to the window with her head down. "Whenever I want to do something, something else always gets in the way."

Dawn huffed. "Tell me about it! I have to work two jobs!"

"At least you don't have ponies asking you for favors all the time or following you wherever you go."

"You mean adoring fans and reporters putting you on the front pages of magazines? Man, that would be cool! No pony really knows me back in Hoofington. The only friends I have are Daphne and my dad. Well, at least while working, I'm spending time with them."

"I _wish_ I had more time with _my_ friends. Now I'm always busy. At least when I was still a regular old unicorn, I did my own scheduling. Now for the first time in my life, I'm wishing for a day without schedules!"

"But you can order ponies around, get them to do whatever! No pony tells _you_ what to do!"

"You'd be surprised. I don't mind helping with the fair, and I'd do anything for Cadence, but sometimes…I just wish I wouldn't have to do anything or be anywhere for once. Now I've got this prince wanting to marry me…"

"Prince?!" Dawn exclaimed, gaping at her. "You don't mean…Prince _Blueblood_?!"

"Yeah," Twilight sighed.

"_Prince Blueblood_ wants to marry _you_?!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to."

"But he's so handsome!" Dawn blushed. "Of course, I've never seen him myself, but I hear he's an Adonis!"

"He's also pig-headed and self-centered."

"Oh, he can't be that bad. He is a _prince_, after all. Aren't princes supposed to be charming?"

The alicorn snorted. "He's an exception to the rule."

Dawn didn't seem to hear that last comment as she gazed back in the mirror. She continued playing with the crown. Twilight smiled as she appeared in the mirror with her.

"It really is remarkable," she mused.

"I know, this crown is gorgeous!" the unicorn marveled.

"No, I meant the resemblance between us!"

"Oh, right," Dawn sighed, "except you're a beautiful princess."

"You're just as attractive, Dawn. We have the same face."

"Yeah, but you wear it better. Besides, I've got this rat's nest for a mane."

"Hmm," Twilight tapped her chin. "I wonder…" She turned to Dawn and illuminated her horn. "Hold still. I'd like to try something."

Dawn spun around in alarm. "What?"

She screamed as the princess shot a beam at her. When the light diminished, Dawn looked down at her body to see if any damage had been done. She gasped when she saw long dark blue locks of hair hanging down her shoulders. She touched them curiously.

"It's so…" she whispered, "smooth. And straight!"

She looked at her behind and saw that her tail had grown too. She reached back, stroked it and found that it was as smooth as her mane. She glanced back in the mirror and gasped again. She touched every part of her mane to be sure it was hers.

It was the same style as Twilight's.

"Sweet Celestia," she muttered. "I'm…_hot_!"

Twilight gazed in amazement at their almost matching reflections. "You look just like me!"

"Except you have those wicked highlights!"

"Just a moment."

After another spell, Dawn had streaks of pink and purple in her mane and tail. Twilight couldn't get over how incredible this was, for now Dawn looked just like the princess back when she was a unicorn, with the exception of her cutie mark.

"I could be you!" Dawn exclaimed, echoing the alicorn's thoughts.

The unicorn straightened up and put on a bored face.

"I, Princess Twilight Sparkle," she said in an uppity tone, "hereby command thee to fetch me my slippers!"

"I do not talk like that!" Twilight insisted, though she couldn't help but snicker.

"Maybe not in your head!"

They both laughed before looking back at themselves in the mirror and giving out a collective sigh.

"Silly, huh?" Dawn huffed, touching the crown again. "I mean come on. Me, a princess?"

Twilight's eyes widened as an idea formed in her head. She then glanced at Dawn and grinned mischievously. The unicorn saw this in the mirror and looked at the princess, frightened.

"Oh boy," she said. "I know that look. I get that look every time I plot revenge on my boss! You've got something diabolical on your mind! I know you're a princess and all, but whatever it is can't be good!"

Twilight's grin widened. "I have the most ingenious, though incredibly risky, plan ever!"

Dawn gulped. "What?"

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you weren't thinking it."

"Thinking what?"

The alicorn rolled her eyes. "We look alike, you want to be a princess, and I want a break from being a princess, so…"

The unicorn blinked a few times before she gasped in realization. "Oh no…"

"You and I will trade places for the day, just like in _The Prince and the Pauper_!"

"Are you sure that…?"

Twilight ignored her as she quickly cast a spell to transform her mane and tail into Dawn's original style.

"I'll be you and you'll be me, and we'll switch back before any pony finds out!"

"But…" Dawn stammered. "We can't…can we?"

"It worked in the book, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but things went like totally wrong! I mean Prince Edward got kidnapped by Tom's drunken father and Tom almost became King without even knowing how to run a kingdom!"

"That won't happen. Equestria has no queen and your father's not a drunk, is he?"

"Well, no, but…what if we get caught? I mean…if I'm found out, won't I get thrown in jail for impersonating a princess? Or even…?"

Dawn gasped and grasped her neck in panic.

"Oh, it won't be for long," Twilight assured her. "What say we switch back tomorrow at three, before the fair is over? That way, we can both enjoy the fair and I can conduct the closing ceremonies with the other princesses and you can shoot the fireworks?"

"But…"

"Everything will be fine," Twilight said, putting her hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "Think of this as a science experiment! Aren't you even the least bit curious to see if this'll work?"

Dawn glanced back at her reflection and the crown on her head. _Me, a princess_. It was her wish coming true. The opportunity was literally staring at her in the face. The question was: should she take it?

"Just one teeny problem," she said. "You're an _alicorn_! At least Edward and Tom were both unicorns! Wouldn't they find it suspicious if the princess suddenly didn't have wings?"

"Huh," Twilight said, rubbing her chin. "That _is_ a problem."

The princess mentally went through every spell she had learned, trying to find one that would help. She'd never heard of a spell to turn one type of pony into another. The only one she knew could do that was Discord, but she was a little hesitant in calling him. Sure, he wouldn't pass up a chaotic opportunity such as this, but she wasn't sure she could count on him changing them back.

Then she wondered how she had become an alicorn in the first place. Celestia had never really explained it to her. Was that also thanks to Discord? Had Celestia cast a powerful spell that only she could perform?

That reminded her of another spell, one she had discovered in an old book in the Castle of the Two Sisters. She had used it once to turn herself and her friends into breezies. According to the book, transformation spells were so complicated that only an alicorn or unicorn with advanced magic could cast them. As a unicorn, transforming inanimate objects had been difficult, but as an alicorn, turning six ponies into breezies had been…well, a breeze.

She looked back at her wings and then at Dawn.

"Yes," she grinned. "It just might work."

"What might work?" Dawn asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Twilight placed her hooves firmly on the ground. "Just stand still. This won't hurt a bit."

"Wait, what're you doing?"

"Trust me. I've done this before. Once."

The unicorn bit her lip and shut her eyes tight. The princess wouldn't vaporize her, right?

Twilight closed her eyes too, but calmly. Her horn glowed slowly for a few seconds before emitting a ball of light. Dawn's eyes shot open as she was lifted into the air. A beam shot out of the alicorn's horn and hit the unicorn in the chest. Twilight then turned to the mirror and fired another beam. It bounced off the mirror towards herself. Now light was spiraling around her as she faced Dawn again, who closed her eyes as she was blinded by the next emission of light.

* * *

Far away in the mountains, in a land where rivers were made of chocolate and peppermint trees sprouted from the ground, the Lord of Chaos slept on a pink cloud made from cotton candy. He buried his face in the soft stickiness as he dreamt.

"I would love to have tea with you…" he mumbled. "Fluttershy…"

He woke with a start as his body started wriggling all over, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground. He cursed himself for making it cement.

Discord rubbed his head as he reflected on the chaotic vibe he had just had.

"Now what in the world was _that_?!"

* * *

"I don't believe it…" Twilight whispered.

Dawn didn't know how long her eyes had been closed, but it had apparently been a while, for she could hear Twilight giggling.

"You can look now, Dawn."

The unicorn hesitantly opened her eyes and gasped at the pony in front of her. If looking at Twilight hadn't been like looking in a mirror before, it certainly was now.

"W-what happened to your wings?"

The ex-alicorn smiled and pointed to the mirror. Dawn turned her head and screamed, nearly falling over. Once she had balanced herself, she looked again.

Sticking out of her back were two enormous purple wings.

"What in the…?" the former unicorn uttered, spinning in a circle to get a better look at the wings. "I'm a… How did you…?"

"An old spell I found in a book at the Castle of the Two Sisters," Twilight explained. "It changed our forms without changing our magical capabilities, so I'll be able to change us back." She chuckled. "Now you look like a _real_ princess!"

Dawn gazed back in the mirror and smiled. "You know? I think we can really pull this off!"

She squealed in delight as she touched her wings. Then she frowned at the firework on her flank.

"You wouldn't happen to have a spell to change our cutie marks, would you?"

Twilight cringed. "Trust me. You do _not_ want to go there. However…"

Her horn glowed again and summoned a paintbrush and several buckets of different color paints. She dipped the brush in magenta and flew it across Dawn's flank. After adding more colors, she did some painting on her flank, and soon the lookalikes had each other's cutie marks.

"That should do it," Twilight said, poofing the paints away. "Now to teach you everything you need to know if you're going to be me for a day."

She summoned a flipchart and a pointer. She flipped the first page and pointed to a picture of Spike.

"Okay, first there's Spike, my number one assistant and friend. He was given to me as an egg, the same day Princess Celestia made me her protégé…"

* * *

"…and that's how I got my castle. Did you get all that? Dawn?"

"Huh, wha…?" Dawn exclaimed as she awoke from her slumber.

Twilight tilted her head. "Did you hear any of what I said?"

"Oh, yeah, but…could you go back to the part about your daily nutrition? I kinda spaced out with all the talk of food."

The princess sighed and made the flipchart vanish. "I'll sum it up. Best friends: Spike, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Show every pony courtesy, stand up straight and if you don't know the answer to something, just say "That's fine," or "I completely disagree." Got that?"

Dawn nodded hesitantly. "I think I do."

"Now, what do I need to know about being you?"

The former unicorn shrugged. "My dad's the red unicorn with the beard. Oh, and in case you have to make fireworks…"

"I read all about them. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Are you sure? I mean I'm used to it, but it can be dangerous…"

"If I can take on the magic of four alicorns, how hard could creating a few explosions be?"

"Wait. I'm an alicorn now. Am I gonna have to perform some fancy spell or…fly?!"

"You shouldn't have to, unless there's an impending disaster, but what could happen in one day? And don't worry about the flying. I'm not so good at it either."

The door swung open before they could discuss anything further.

"Twilight?" Spike called. "Are you in…wha?"

The dragon's jaw dropped when he saw Twilight and a mare that looked a great deal like her.

"What the…she's…who…how…?"

"Oh, you must be Spike!" Twilight said with a grin.

"Huh?" Dawn said. "But I thought you knew…?"

Twilight nudged her in the side and winked. It took a second for the disguised unicorn to get the message.

"Oh, right! Hi, uh, Spike! This is Twi…I mean…Dawn! Yes, this is Dawn! And I'm Twilight! Princess Twilight Sparkle, that's me!"

Twilight tried her best not to shake her head. "Right! Um, thanks for your help, Princess."

"My help?"

"You know, with my headache?"

"Oh, yes, of course! Yeah, well…you best get going. Don't you have those _fireworks_ to deliver?"

"Right!"

Twilight stepped out the door and levitated the crates in the hallway.

"It was, um, nice meeting you, Princess! You too, Spike!"

The disguised princess trotted down the hall and snickered when she was sure Spike couldn't hear her. Meanwhile, the dragon was watching her in shock.

"She…" he pointed. "She looks just like you!"

"I know," Dawn laughed nervously. "Weird, right? You could say we're the same pony."

Spike shook out of his daze. "Anyway, where've you been? We have to finish the things on the list!"

"List?"

"The list of things to get done before the fair tomorrow?"

"Oh, _that_ list! Um…just a moment, Spot. I need to change."

The dragon raised an eyebrow. "Spot? Change?"

"I'm a princess, right? I need to look amazing for my subjects, right?"

"Uh, sure, but since when do you care about…?"

"Just give me a minute! Wait right here, Spick!"

She shut the door, leaving the dragon confused.

"Spick?"

Dawn rushed to the armoire and pulled out as many dresses as she could carry. She went over to the vanity and pressed them against her body.

"Whoa," she said for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. "If Daphne could see me now!"

* * *

**Okay, teeny tiny references to different versions of the story. I figured if Twilight can turn ponies into breezies, she could turn one into an alicorn too. Wow, who knew Twilight could be so diabolical? Well, you've seen "Lesson Zero" and "Magical Duel." She can be devious.**


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